Table construction



May'l6, 1933. F. SIMMONS TABLE CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 27, 1928 INVFNTOR KJzmmO/za M FZ ATTORNEYU' Patented May 16, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

'FINN SIMMONS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO NUFOLD FURNITURE COMPANY,

- v OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS TABLE CONSTRUCTION Application filed September 27, 1928. Serial No. 308,637.

My invention relates to improvements in table constructions, and it consists in the combinations, constructions, and arrangements herein described and claimed. 7

An object of my invention is to provide a table construction which has novel means for swinging the legs thereof simultaneously into or out of their opening positions.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the type described which has novel means for rigidly locking the legs in their open positions.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the type described in which numerous parts are identical in construction whereby the device is simple in construction andin which the parts may be readily assembled.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this application, in which 1 m Figure 1 is a side elevation of my device,

Figure 2 isoa vertical sectional view of my device, and

Figure 3 is an enlargedsection substantially along the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

In carrying outmy invention, I provide a top unit A and a supporting unit B. The top unit is composed of a body portion 1 having a frame 2 disposed therearound. flange 3 is integral with the frame 2 and em tends inwardly therefrom. A cover 4 is provided for the top unit and hasits edges disposed between the flange 3 and the body portion 1. A spacing member 5 is disposed between the cover 4 and the body portion 1 and has its edges terminating adjacent the inner edges of the flange 3.

I The frame 2 is provided with a channel 6 which extends. therearound. Angle mem-.

bers 7 are provided for rigidly securing the frame 2 to the body portion 1. One of the edges of each of the angle irons is disposed in the channel 6 and the channel irons are forced into the positions shown in Figures 2 and 3. During this positioning of the angle irons 7, the flange 3 is brought into a gripping relation with the outer edge of the cover 4. The angle irons 7 are secured in place by any suitable means, such as screws The supporting unit B is composed of a plurality of legs9 which may be formed of any suitable material and of any desired shape. In the present instance the legs 9 are formed of square tubing and have their upper ends secured tohinges 10. The

hinges 10 are formed of two substantially ,U-shaped members which are identical in construction, and are provided with relatively narrow ends 11 and relatively wide ends 12. The outwardly extending portions 13 of the U-shaped members 10 are pivotally secured together as shown in Figure 3. The

legs 9 are firmly secured to the wide ends of the movable portions 10. The fixed portions 10 are firmly secured to the body portion 1 by any suitable means, such as screws 14. The movable portions 10 are so arranged that when they, together with the legs, are in the vertical positions, the straight-edge thereof will rest upon the sta-' tionary portion together with the upper'ends of the legs.

The leg-actuating mechanism is composed of a stationary disc 15 which has a movable disc '16 pivotally secured thereto as at 1,7. The discs 15 and 16 are separated by a washer 18 which is disposed concentric A, with the pivot 17. An actuating lever 19 is rigidly secured to the movable disc 16.

A stop member 20 is carried by the stationary disc 15. The stationary disc 15 is rigid- 1y secured to the body portion 1 by any suit-' able means, such as screws 21. Actuating arms 22 have their inner ends pivotally secured at spaced-apart positions to the movable disc 16. The outer ends of the arms 22 are pivotally secured to the legs '9 at points substantially adjacent the outer edgesthereof.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. It will be noted that the pivot oints of the hinges are adjacent the innere ges of the legs, where- 100 as the pivot points of the arms 22 are adjacent the outer edges of the legs. The purpose of this. is to position the pivot points of the arms 22 above the pivot points of the hinges when the legs are in their folded or closed positions, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 3. This positioning of the pivot points along the legs 9 enables the legs to be swung outwardly as the movable disc 16'is rotated with respect to the stationary disc 15. 1

When the actuating lever 19 has been moved from the dotted line position shown in Figure 3 to the solid'line position, the legs 9 will have been moved to their outermost or open positions and the arms 22 will have been swung past dead center until one of the arms is in engagement with the stop 20. The legs 9 will then be firmly held in their open positions. When the legs are in this position, the upper ends are firmly held in engagement with the stationary portions of the hinges lO-thus providing a rigid construction.

.I claim: I

1. In a table construction, the combina;

, tion of a top, a member rotatably connected with the top and centrally positioned on the under side thereof, legs hingedly connected with the top, and arm members having ends pivotally connected with the legs and other ends pivotally connected with the rotary member and movable with the rotary movement of said member, the axis of said .arms being substantially tangentially arrangedwith respect to the path of movement of the ends of the arms connected to said rotary member when the legs are in.

their collapsed positions and substantially alined with a radius of the rotary member when the legs are in their extended positions,

2. In a table construction, the combination of a top, a member rotatably connected with ,the top and centrally positioned on the under side thereof, legs hingedly connected with the top, and arm members having ends pivotally connected with the legs and other ends pivotally connected with the rotary member and movable with the rotary movement of said member, the axis of said arm members being substantially tangentially arranged with respect to the path of movement of the ends of said arms connected to said rotary member when the legs are in their collapsed positions,said rotary member be hingedly connected with the top and, arm

members having ends pivotally connected with the legs and other ends pivotally con- I nected with the rotary disc, said arm members being substantially tangentially arranged with respect to the rotary disc when the legs are in their collapsed positions and substantially radially positioned with respect to the-rotary disc when the legs are in their extended positions, the pivot axes of the arms being disposed in more remote positions from the top than the hinge axes of the legs when said legs are in their collapsed positions.

4. In a table construction, the combination of a top, a disc, member rotatably connected with the top and centrally-positioned on the under side thereof, legs hingedly connected with the top, and arm members having ends pivotally connected with the legs and other ends pivotally connected with the rotary disc, said arm members being substantially tangentially arranged with respect to the rotary disc when being substantially radially positioned with respect to the rotary disc when the legs are in their extended positions, the pivot axes of the arms being disposed in more remote v positions fromthe top than the hinge axes of the legs when said legs are in their collapsed positions.

5. In a table construction, the combination of a top, a stationary plate connected to the top and centrally positioned on the under side thereof, a disc member rotatably connected with the plate member, legs hingedly connected with the top, and arm members having ends pivotally connected with the legs and other ends pivotally connected with the rotary disc, said arm members being substantially tangentially arranged with respect to the rotary disc when the legs are in their collapsed positions and substantially radially positioned with respect to the rotary disc when the legs are in their extended positions.

6. In a table construction, the combination of a top, a stationary plate connected to the top and centrally positioned on the under side thereof, a disc member rotatably connected with the plate member, legs hingedly connected with the top, and arm members having ends pivotally connected with the legs and other ends pivotally connected with the rotary disc, said arm members being substantially tangentially arranged with respect to the rotary disc when the legs are in their collapsed positions and substantially radially positioned with respect to the rotary disc when the legs are in their extended positions, said disc member being rotatable for moving the legs to their extended positions.

7. In a table construction, the combination of a top, a disc member rotatably connected with the top and centrally positioned on the under side thereof, legs hingedly connected with the top, arm members having ends pivotally connected with the legs and other ends pivotally connected with the rotary member, said arm members being substantially tangentially arranged with respect to the rotary member when the legs are in their collapsed positions, said member being rotatable for moving the legs to their extended positions, said arms being substantially radially positioned with respect to the rotary member when the legs are in their extended positions, and a projecting portion connected with the top and adapted for limiting the rotation of the member and for retaining the legs in their extended positions.

8. In atable construction, the combinafolded and to dispose the links substantially radially to lock the legs in open position.

11. An article of furniture including a top, a plurality of legs each having individual hinged connection with said top, a centrally dis posed member on the underside of said top, a pivot secured to said top providing for rotation of said member, and links connected between said member and said legs for effecting simultaneous opening of said legs upon rotation of said member, one of said links substantially alined with a radius of said memberand extending to each of said legs when said legs are in open position.

Signed at Chicago in the county of Cook and State of Illinois this 19th day of September A. D. 1928.,

' FINN SIMMONS.

tion of a top, a stationary plate connected to the top and centrally positioned on the under side thereof, a member rotatably connected with the plate member, legs hingedly 1 connected with the top, arm members having ends pivotally connected with the legs and other ends pivotally connected with the rotary -member, said arm members being substantially tangentially arranged with respect to the rotary member when thelegs are in their collapsed positions and substantially radially positioned with respect to the axis of the'rotary member when the legs are in their extended positions, said rotary member being rotatable for moving the legs to theirextended positions, a lug portion connected with the stationary plate and means carried by said rotary member for limiting the rotation of the rotary member and for retaining the legs in their extended positions.

9'. An article of furniture, including a top, a plurality of legs hingedly connected with the top, a centrally disposed member rotatably carried by the under side of the top, and links pivotally connected to the 'legs and to said member to move with the said member in a common circular path with respect to the "axis of rotation of the said member, to dispose the links at a tangent to said'circular path when the legs are folded and to dispose the links substantially radially and past dead center to lock the legs in open position.

10. article of furniture, including a top, a plurality of legs hingedly connected with the top, a centrally dlsposed member rotatably carried by the under side of the top, and linkspivotally connected to the legs and to said member to move with the sald member in a common circular ath with respect to the axis of rotationo the said member, to dispose the links at a tangent tosaid circular path when the legs are 

